MINISTER OF TRANSPORT CHUCK STRAHL REMEMBERS ROAD CRASH VICTIMS

OTTAWA, Nov. 17 /CNW/ - The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today released the following statement to mark the third annual National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims.

"Our government takes road safety very seriously, and today we remember the lives lost due to road fatalities and empathize with the families affected. On this occasion, I would like to offer my condolences to all Canadians who have lost loved ones or been personally injured in such collisions.

"Observing this day helps raise awareness of the almost 2,800 road users who are killed and of the approximately 195,000 injuries that occur each year in Canada. It commemorates the victims of these crashes and reminds us all of the importance of driving safely.

"Most traffic collisions are avoidable. In addition to the obvious effect they have on the immediate victims, they also touch the lives of family, friends and colleagues. We need to work together to reduce these senseless tragedies. Making conscious decisions — such as not drinking and driving, not speeding and always wearing a seat belt — can help improve road safety across the country.

"To help achieve this, the Government of Canada, along with all provincial and territorial partners, supports Road Safety Vision 2010, a national road safety initiative to make our roads the safest in the world. We are seeing positive results. The number of road users killed during 2008 was approximately 12 per cent lower than the number fatally injured in crashes during 2007. It represents a dramatic step towards achieving Canada's overall goal of reducing fatalities by 30 per cent by 2010 compared with the period from 1996 to 2001.

"In communities across Canada, every important action to improve road safety can help to save lives, and our government is committed to improving road safety and protecting the lives of Canadians on our roads, and we have taken steps to ensure this happens.

"We have taken several measures to better protect Canadians while driving. For example, on December 10, 2009, we introduced a new regulation that would make electronic stability control mandatory on all new vehicles sold in Canada as of September 1, 2011. We also passed legislation that cracks down on street racing and drug-impaired driving by introducing stiffer criminal penalties.

"We will continue to  work hard to achieve our goal of greater road safety for the benefit of all Canadians."

We encourage you to visit the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims website where you can create a tribute to someone you've lost or whose life has been forever changed as the result of a tragedy on the road. We also encourage you to pledge to "Leave the Phone Alone" while driving. For additional information on road safety, please visit the Transport Canada website.

To learn more about how you can contribute to making our roads the safest in the world, please visit Transport Canada's website at www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/backgrounders/b00-r001.htm.

Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada.

This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities.

For further information:

Contacts:

John Babcock Press Secretary Office of the Honourable Chuck Strahl Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Ottawa 613-991-0700

Media Relations Transport Canada, Ottawa 613-993-0055